The present invention relates to aboveground swimming pool construction and more particularly to the mounting of the surface skimmer unit to the sidewall of the pool.
Aboveground swimming pools are becoming ever increasingly popular because they are low cost, provide ease of maintenance and are not permanent structures. Typically, the pools are comprised of a substantially cylindrical perimeter formed of sheet steel with a water-proof liner in the middle. By design, the water is kept from contact with the steel sidewall by the liner and there are very few points in the pool construction where water is allowed to possibly come in contact with the steel. However, this unfortunately occurs in the area of the surface skimmer unit which is connected to the water filtration and circulation pump. By necessity, the skimmer unit must take water from the surface of the pool which must pass through an opening in the steel sidewall in order to enter the skimmer unit through a duct. The joint between the skimmer duct and the liner/sidewall is one of the few areas where water could possibly contact the steel sidewall, thus causing rust and corrosion.
To date, there has not been found a sufficient joint system for interconnecting the three elements of the pool liner, the sidewall, and the skimmer duct that avoids rust and corrosion of the steel sidewall around the area of the joint. Pool installers and work maintenance service contractors often find that the skimmer duct joint area causes the greatest maintenance problems. To cure a situation of excessive rust and corrosion, sometimes the entire sidewall section needs to be replaced. This can be a time-consuming and expensive repair. Therefore, there is a need in the art to create a skimmer duct joint which adequately protects the pool sidewall from the adverse effects of rust and corrosion which can occur from a direct contact between the water and the steel sidewall.
In order to solve the problem in the art described above, the present invention has been devised which provides a unique flange joint that fully isolates the steel sidewall from contact with water entering the skimmer duct. This is achieved by the use of a pair of mating flanges fitted to opposite sides of the sidewall that completely enclose the inside edges of the sidewall. The flanges are comprised of two closely inner-fitting elements sealed together directly to the metal sidewall by a water-proof adhesive. The flanges include overlapping collars within the sidewall opening which completely seal-off and isolate water entering the skimmer duct and prevent any possibility of contact with the metal pool sidewall. Thus, the above problems caused by water damage to the pool sidewall are eliminated.
More specifically, the applicant has devised a swimming pool skimmer duct joint comprising a pool liner, a sidewall and a skimmer duct affixed to the sidewall. The sidewall and pool liner have openings therein for a passage of pool surface water to enter the skimmer duct. The joint further comprises a first flange which is affixed against the outside of the pool sidewall, the flange has an inward projecting collar closely fitting around the inside circumference of an opening in the sidewall. The collar of the first flange extends a distance only equal to the thickness of the sidewall. A second flange affixed against the inside of the pool sidewall includes a second collar which fits closely within the first collar and extends through an opening of the first flange to a point flush with an outside surface of the first flange whereby the first and second collars form overlapping coverage of the inside edge of the sidewall opening. A water-proof adhesive is applied between all mating surfaces of the first and second flanges and the pool sidewall. The collars of flanges are designed such that an end of the first collar abuts a backside of the second flange, thus forming a standoff which holds the faces of the flanges apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the pool sidewall to allow for adhesive. The standoff also ensures that the end of the longer collar is held flush with the face of the opposing flange so that an unwanted overlapping lip is not formed that might trap water.
It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a water-proof joint around the circumference of the sidewall opening for the skimmer duct of an aboveground swimming pool which prevents all contact of the pool water and the sidewall. Further objects and advantages will become readily apparent from those of ordinary skill in the art from the following drawings and description of the preferred embodiment.